Five Questions With: Gregory Cabral

Gregory Cabral is a partner in BlumShapiro, a regional accounting, tax and business consulting firm based in Rockland, Mass., that merged with the Providence-based accounting firm of Sullivan & Co. on Jan. 1, 2013.
Cabral has 30 years of experience in tax planning and consulting for multinational clients. He has expertise in research and development for tax credit studies, as well as in international acquisitions and business restructuring. He previously worked at Ernst & Young and KPMG.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Cabral has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation from Bryant University.

PBN: Why didn’t the current sluggish economy in Rhode Island deter BlumShapiro from expanding here?
CABRAL:
Sullivan & Co. has a very strong client base and continues to provide valuable service to local companies, whether they are struggling or flourishing in the current Rhode Island economy. BlumShapiro recognized the strength in the Sullivan & Co. name and believes in the future of Rhode Island’s business. BlumShapiro’s philosophy is to provide best-in-class advisory services to not only help their clients operate and manage their business, but succeed in doing so. We feel the combined forces of our firms enable us to provide even more valuable services across additional industries in the current Rhode Island market.

PBN: With BlumShapiro’s recent merger with Sullivan & Co., what is the change in your firm’s market presence from pre- to post-merger?
CABRAL:
Sullivan & Co.’s 70-plus employees have provided accounting and tax services to companies in Providence for over 35 years from our office in Providence. The combined firm will now have 340 employees located in five offices throughout New England. We now have the ability to expand the services we offer to existing clients in RI while attracting new clients in new industries, including state and local government, automotive, education and professional services.

PBN: What are the strong points of the Providence market and areas for opportunity?
CABRAL:
Providence and the Rhode Island market are forecasted to begin recovery in 2012. We believe that our clients are positioned well and have built efficiencies into their business during this downturn that will provide significant benefits as the economy turns positive.

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PBN: Does the merger expand your client base and client industries? Where will you get new clients from, in terms of geographic area and industry?
CABRAL:
Sullivan & Co. has a very strong presence in the manufacturing, distribution, healthcare and hospitality industries in Rhode Island. BlumShapiro brings expertise in state and local government, colleges and universities, independent schools, nonprofit and auto dealership industries, along with business consulting expertise. This merger gives BlumShapiro significant presence in Providence, and, as one firm, we can now bring a comprehensive suite of business solutions to companies located in Rhode Island. Since we service the middle market, we believe it is extremely important to be close to our clients to provide them with exceptional service. We plan to remain in Providence and, in fact, expand our presence.

PBN: Does your firm specialize in any areas of expertise relative to Providence’s economy or market?
CABRAL:
Sullivan & Co. already brings unique expertise to the jewelry, manufacturing, distribution, hospitality and healthcare industries. With the addition of BlumShapiro in the Rhode Island market, our expertise is now supplemented with an expertise in business, operations and IT consulting and expansion into industries such as education, state and local government, nonprofit and automotive sectors.

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